how do/would YOU manage sweet itch??

I apply Kill Itch at the first sign of flies. Wash his mane and tail several times a week and he goes out in a fly rug that covers him from head to tail and under his belly, also has a mask for his face. Lots of fly spray, I use Avon Skin So Soft actually.
 
She is turned out 24/7 from pretty much beginning april to end oct (when there aren't night frosts so this date is pretty flexible) though this is my pref for her rather than a requirement of her sweet itch. For her sweet itch she is rugged in a sweet itch rug (with face mask too) from march to nov, under a turnout if required. She has two so one on for a week, then taken off and washed and the other put on for a week. Always washed in non-bio and with an extra rinse too. Naf itch stop cream for her udders/midline/anywhere the rug doesn't cover each week. If she is bathed then it is with v mild shampoo in warm water then well rinsed. She prob has a bath every month through the warmer weather. She is on a diet that has no added sugar, though again this is because it is my pref for her rather than a sweet itch requirement but I do think it lessens the symptoms. She also has brewers yeast added, it containts useful b vitamins and some people have found it helps so it goes in - again, it hasn't stopped it but I do think the symptoms are less.

She is a warm mare and if she is hot then she gets v itchy so because she was in alot of work all winter she had a hunter clip with rugging on the cooler side. She was much more comfortable like this too. She is groomed every other day (at least, always before riding) and I think this helps her too, a good rubber curry comb/dandy brush groom seems to help set her right and remove any grotty bits that might make her itchy! She has no specific 'sweet itch supplements' as I'm not convinced they do anything, and if there is an active ingredient that I think might help (like the brewers yeast) then I would rather feed that straight rather than pay through the nose for branding and filler. She doesn't have fly spray as the rug covers her everywhere, and the naf sorts the rest. If we go for long hacks in the summer then I do smooth a little of the naf along her mane and tail just incase any midges get to her while we are out.

All this seems to work as she was terribly itchy the first summer we had her (had no idea she might have sweet itch) but to look at her now you would never think she had a prob at all.

Hope that helps, prevention is enormously better than cure, so although they are expensive, a sweet itch rug is an absolute must. We have the rambo sweet itch hoody and the snuggy hoods sweet itch rug with udder cover - would recommend both, but the snuggy hoods is the best as it has the option of an udder cover and totally covers her udder and midline, which seems to be food stop central for all the evil flys! Although the naf is excellent, I prefer that she is covered as much as poss to keep them off.
 
Gosh! Big topic, there will be a load of stuff in the H&H archives too if you do a search.

IME there's no one "fix" with a sweet itch, its a total care solution. I feed Brewers Yeast and Linseed Oil; plus keep him covered up with a Rambo sweet itch hoody.

He's out by day, but brought in at night well before the midges start to bite.

Have a look at the National Sweet Itch Centre website, they've got a lot of stuff there which might help.

First thing to do if you have one develop SI is to get the vet out to do some bloods IMO; then at least you know what you've got, i.e. mild, moderate, severe.
 
Im finding altitude and environment the key to my girl. She is not showing any signs of rubbing this season, and i also im not seeing midges where she is, she s kept for most of the year on a headland which has good brisk breezes, far to brisk for midges to navigate, also no stream or open water close by...only the sea a few hundred feet below lol, of course, separated by a lovely big stock fence :) She does have Nettex stop itch just for good measure. She has a full mane yay, i dont bath her in the summer as i dont bring her down through the canopy that is about 100 ft lower and i know for a fact theres lots of midges there as i get hit by them daily. yuck, She has no visible signs on her skin,neck dock,between legs.

She comes down after the frosts Nov/Dec and then gets a good brushing and i gently go through her mane and tail and tidy her up and that s all. Then she goes back up the hill. Get them as high as you can in the summer months thats my advice :)
 
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Boett rug, unmolassed/sweetened feeds, linseed oil, brewers yeast. Itch Stop cream from nettex. Of all these, the Boett is probably the single most effective thing, but you do need electric fencing to help stop it ripping. Mine is kept part stabled.

the other big thing you can do which helps is be very careful where you keep them, the more windy and exposed the better really (midges hate those sort of conditions).
 
There's a newish product out called Cavalesse, specifically aimed at sweetitch horses. It's not cheap (£70 on line for 3 months supply) and has to be given daily at the same time but I'm in the middle of trialling it for my horse (for a severe pollen allergy) and so far (touches wood, crosses fingers, prays, hopes) he's fine. It works by blocking the action of the cells that produce histamine. The only problem is it should be started 3 weeks before the allergic response is triggered. Worth a look via Google though.
 
My welsh has been clear of sweet itch now for 2 years... here's what I did.... and still do to this day...

Apple cider vinegar is a MUST - (if you are not hard feeding, then just add it to their water).. you can also use this externally as a wipe or spray, but don't put it on open sores coz it'll sting a little!

Also garlic in their feed too as it makes the horse 'taste yurgh' to the midgies!

Externally, citronella is a godsend. I haven't had to use it now for 2 years but it sure did the trick when i needed it to.

I also agree with those raving about Avon Skin So Soft - I know many owners who swear by this too. (dilute it 50:50 with water and spray it on).

Those are my thoughts for what it's worth! lol

:)
 
Our shetland came to us in avery bad way, to the point where he would roll that much in discomfort he gave himself nosebleeds!:eek: We seem to have cracked it now though. He is fed Brewers yeast all year round but gradually building it up from January. He's clipped out completely apart from his mane (which now comes down to his shoulders rather than having to be hooged) as soon as it starts to warm up and the boett comes out. He has very little lotions on other than fly spray and sometimes a little cream in his ears as he's good at getting the mask off. If he does manage to get any sores he has sudocrem put on, we found some creams made the sore patches worse on him. He is put out during the day, we avoid dawn and dusk when the flies are at the worse, this does mean in summer he is out in the heat but he has shelter and somedays we will keep him in and he'll just have a few hours but he has got a massive stable with a shetland size door and a nice view so I don't feel too guilty.:)
 
I'm also trying the cavalesse on my mare who really is bad, come summer she's unrideable. And it does seem to be working, very little itching and she's happy had started to rub her mane last couple of days but only slightly so have put her boett rug back on last night as a precausion, she really is happy in her self instead of being a sourfaced old grump. Bought mine through my vet £81.84, didn't know you get it on line.
 
My 16.3 IDxTB mare is a very itchy horse all year round, but worse when the sweet itch season starts. I've tried many things over the years I have had her but have to say that the single most effective thing is the Boett rug. She wears this from about the end of March through to October, with a turnout rug on top if necessary, whether she is in or out.

She also has a fly mask with ears - I've tried the Boett hood but she is happier in a lighterweight version as her skin on her face is very thin and she gets rubbed with anything heavy. If she does get any sore or rubbed areas I use aloe vera gel.

I have also started to use D-Itch in her feed over the last couple of years and it has definitely made a difference.
 
Box_Of_Frogs said:
There's a newish product out called Cavalesse, specifically aimed at sweetitch horses. It's not cheap (£70 on line for 3 months supply) and has to be given daily at the same time but I'm in the middle of trialling it for my horse (for a severe pollen allergy) and so far (touches wood, crosses fingers, prays, hopes) he's fine. It works by blocking the action of the cells that produce histamine. The only problem is it should be started 3 weeks before the allergic response is triggered. Worth a look via Google though.
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my friend has used this for the past summer or two + her horse has been able to be turned out 24/7 without a rug which would normally be a big no-no!! with just fly spray applied daily
 
I have to say I am getting fed up of avon skin so soft being mentioned - it does not work, there is no evidence that it works and really the oil in it is the bite reducer

Rugging is a must, but you can also consider keeping in during the day and only turning out after dark. Midge activity is lower in the morning than at dusk. However your stables need to be midge free for this to work

Benzl Benzoate is always quoted as the miracle cure, but its a skin irritant. And if your horses sheath or udder are reacting you cannot use this everyday as otherwise you will get a very sore p*sssed off horse

Neurotoxins for midges - permethrin / cypermethrin don't really work unless you can get a decent vapour barrier (unlikely) so the blighters bite then die and doesn't solve the problem

You need a midge repellent - there are basically two that work - DEET and Saltidin

DEET eats plastic and is a skin irritant, Saltidin is newer, skin friendly doesn't eat plastic and gets this kind of result:
2011-00012_Saltidin.JPG
 
Some areas/yards/fields are worse than others.

ALWAYS: Horsewear sweet itch hoody on 24/7 except when riding or in the heat of the day if around in time to put back on (10am- 4ish). Lots of fly spray (citronella) for the underneath, legs, head etc.

If bad: stable for dusk and dawn (so practically - stable overnight).
 
As PennyJ said, where they are kept can make a huge difference. Think about wind, exposure, lack of slow-moving water and so forth.
 
Boett blanket, turned out 24/7, fly spray/barrier cream on any vulnerable bits not covered.

And DEFINATELY electric fencing all around the field!
 
Out 24/7 in as breezy a field as possible, with all fencing etc protected by electric tape (because the more they can rub, they more they will itch). Sweet itch rug on at all times there might be midges (ie whenever the temp is above 4 degrees c and the wind speed is below 12mph). DEET-based fly repellent everywhere the rug doesn't cover, hose off after riding if at all sweaty. Feeding boiled linseed helps some horses.

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Citronella is useless, and I've heard of horses developing more allergies when handcreams/similar which are designed for humans are used on the poor horses. I have tried cavellesse, but for me it was a waste of money, however my friend found it worked for hers. I use a fly rug on mine, and put Switch on his mane and tail twice a week, and use a Cortavance spray the rest of the time. I got both from the vet, and the Cortavance spray is quite cheap. I also use Jungle Formula fly repellant (available from chemists, supermarkets, etc) as this works very well and they also do a roll-on which is ideal for his face.
 
OMG that giant picture is playing havoc with my screen!!!!!!

Back on topic; how much brewers yeast does everyone feed? I fed garlic last year and it made him more itchy, think he's a mild sweet itch type. So I have switched to brewers yeast this year, but am uncertain how much to feed.
 
I'm feeding 2 large heaped teaspoonfuls to my 13.2. They're making it coarser now, so it's heavier than before - I was feeding 3 heaped teaspoons of it then. If she does start rubbing, I'll wack another teaspoonful in for a few days, though she's shown no signs of it yet (touch wood).
 
I am sorry to say but I had mine put down. She developed sweet itch as a 3 year old and despite supplements, rugs and potions she would rub herself raw, she would even get on the ground to scratch, what a horrible life....so I got the hunt to deal with her, wish more people would do this in really severe cases, the suffering must be hell for the horse or pony afflicted, and I 've even seen mares with foals at foot suffering from sweet itch, that just can't be right.
 
Um, sorry, not being picky - but someone (can't remember who) mentioned Garlic for sweet-itches?

I was told to avoid that, coz (sorry, don't quite understand the science bit here) apparently Garlic stimulates the immune/autosuppressant system, which is really what you don't want to do with horses with sweet itch, as this will mean they produce histamine, which basically means that they will itch!!!

Sorry can't explain it better, but I was told to avoid Garlic. Yes it WILL make the horse taste funny to flies, BUT won't help if the problem is sweet itch and caused by the horse's response to biting midges.
 
Benzyl benzoate applied liberally every 2-3 days and...

oh yeah. That's it!

My horse is very bad - would get it all over his neck, back, bum and face but BB does the trick he has a full mane and tail and no discomfort. As someone already said it is a preventative not a treatment. It is an irritant if applied to broken skin and cannot be applied to sensitive areas. But works an absolute treat on manes and tails and an awful lot cheaper than rugs/supplements/fly sprays etc. Costs me <£40 for enough for a year.
 
always rugged in 'fly weather'

benzyl benzoate

electrified field fencing so nothing to rub on

leovet power phaser which stops flies getting anywhere near

not been toog good with any of this this year but she hasnt been very bad at all, she never has a mane though... :mad::rolleyes:
much easier for her if she's hogged although that's not always the case

that is my fault though not always on the ball.
 
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